Tag Archives: paradise bakery

The best of both worlds is the best way to describe my trip to Scottsdale Fashion Square. There is something for everyone, yet the experience is different from your typical mall.

Scottsdale Fashion Square offers the ideal stores that you can’t access anywhere else. It was a treat to be able to explore Louis Vuitton, Coach and Tiffany & Co. all in one mall. The blend of stores, Harkins Theatres, as well as variety of food and treats makes it a mall to remember.

Accompanied by my boyfriend, who is not a big fan of stores that aren’t about gaming, technology or pop culture, he was able to cope due to the variety of stores that suited both of us. We enjoyed exploring stores such as Game Stop, Disney Store, Ed Hardy, Crate & Barrel, Betsey Johnson, Abercrombie & Fitch, Fossil and the Microsoft Store.

We spent a fair amount of time within the Microsoft store examining the various computer and tablets. Both of us have Macs, so it was interesting to compare the other products out there in one space. Many children were playing Xbox 360 Kinect with their parents, in the store, which also sells many Kinect games that seemingly flew off the shelves.

Tempted by the delicious smells wafting around the mall, we took a look at a few of the restaurants that make up the food court, including Johnny Rockets, Panda Express, Pita Jungle, Blue Burrito Grille, Kona Grill, Paradise Bakery & Café and Sarku Japan. Some other selections for dessert or a snack included Haagen-Dazs and doc popcorn.

With so much to do and such a unique selection, it breaks up the monotony of the day and perhaps the “normal” mall one would normally shop at. It’s a vacation from the day-to-day; I found this a special treat because I attend school in Tempe and usually am only able to make it to the Tempe Marketplace mall; so it was a nice change. I look forward to visiting Scottsdale Fashion Square again because of the variety and diversity that awaits me with every visit.

HMSHost, the world leader in creating dining and shopping for travel venues, is transforming the Phoenix traveler’s experience at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s Terminal 4, bringing more than 20 new restaurants including local favorites like Sauce, Barrio Cafe, La Grande Orange and Cowboy Ciao, along with national brands like Starbucks.

The update is a result of last year’s decision by the city of Phoenix to award HMSHost a 10-year food and beverage agreement, following a 2011 competitive bid process.

The first restaurants, Sauce, Dilly’s Deli and Focaccia Fiorentine, opened recently and feature grab-and-go items, perfect for travelers to take on the plane. Staples such as El Bravo, Paradise Bakery and Cafe and Starbucks will remain in Terminal 4, but will be moving to new locations.

“This is a busy and exciting time of year for vacations and summer travel and we are very happy to be able to begin providing a new experience at Sky Harbor Airport that will truly showcase an authentic taste of Phoenix,” said Steve Douglas, vice president of business development for HMSHost. “Terminal 4 is the busiest spot in one of America’s busiest airports and we’re bringing out the best of the best to showcase the great dining in the city of Phoenix.”

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said the update to Terminal 4, when complete, will reflect the flavor of America’s sixth largest city.

“When travelers come to visit Phoenix or pass through our airport, I want them to know what Phoenix is all about, and soon they’ll be able to taste it,” Mayor Greg Stanton said. “They’ll know that our city and our airport support our local businesses, and that Phoenix is an epicenter of high-quality, modern and authentic dining.”

Local Phoenix restaurateurs Sam Fox of Fox Restaurant Group and Bob Lynn of LGO Hospitality have partnered with HMSHost to bring an unprecedented level of culinary expertise to Terminal 4 throughout its North and South wings. Travelers passing through the A gates will find the full range of Sam Fox’s food imagination: Modern Burger’s juicy burger sliders, and Blanco Tacos + Tequila’s delicious, award-winning traditional Mexican fare of guacamole, tacos and margaritas inspired by Baja and Sonora.

The transformation, which features a new off-site commissary and technological improvements that will speed and ease service for travelers, has already begun.

“This transformation was carefully planned and balances the practical needs of travelers with a range of options, pre-security and post-security, for on-the-go or for those with more time to spare,” said Derek Boettcher, senior director of food & beverage for HMSHost at Sky Harbor Airport.

One of Phoenix’s must-try restaurants, Cowboy Ciao is coming to the high B gates in Sky Harbor’s international concourse. What started as a very unique Southwest-meets-Italian premise has evolved into a style best described as eclectic American.

The French countryside makes a trip to this Concourse in the form of la Madeleine, luring travelers with healthy offerings including salads, vegetarian fare, and delicious sweet treats.

Barrio Café is the creation of chef and owner Silvana Salcido-Esparza who makes her Mexico-inspired dishes a must-taste for everyone. Barrio Café will be located in the D concourse. Chef Esparza is a 2010 and 2011 James Beard Foundation nominee for Best Chef-Southwest.

Also in B and C gates, HMSHost’s busy baristas at Starbucks will fuel weary travelers with great beverages and snacks — no matter what time zone they are entering or have just departed.

Travelers to the C gates will find the much-beloved Paradise Bakery (now open), along with a Tucson tradition come-to-life in Sir Veza’s Taco Garage — offering something for everyone from hand-bored guacamole and imaginatively sauced wings, to Nitro Nachos and Tricked Out Tacos, as well as the local legend in coffee, Cartel Coffee Lab.

The pre-security Terminal 4 lobby will showcase Bob Lynn’s Chelsea’s Kitchen, specializing in gourmet burgers, upscale taco platters, rotisserie meats and American comfort food. It will be joined by Sam Fox’s Sauce (now open) where guests will get a full complement of pizza, salad and pasta. Also pre-security, Starbucks fans will greet their favorite java in the lobby as they wait happily for family members.

Describe your very first job and the lessons you learned from it. My first job was at a neighborhood grocery when I was 15. My job was to come in after school and clean the meat room where the butchers worked all day cutting and grinding meat. Talk about a dirty job! After my first week, the manager took me aside and told me that my work was sloppy and slow. From that day on, I was always the fastest and meticulous about everything I did. I soon became head stock boy, and on my 18th birthday, the youngest assistant manager in the history of the chain.

Describe your first job in your industry and what you learned from it. Believe it or not, my first job in this industry was at Paradise Bakery. I started after college and have been here 21 years. I learned that this business is about people — the people who work for you and the people they serve. Do everything in your power to do right by the first group and they’ll take care of the second group. I’ve never made a wrong decision when I’ve put our associates and our guests first. I usually make the wrong decision if I put finances first.

What were your salaries at both of these jobs? At the grocery store I made $3.35 an hour, and as an assistant manager for Paradise Bakery I made $24,000 a year.

Who is your biggest mentor and what role did they play? My biggest mentor has been Dan Patterson, the founder of Paradise Bakery and Café. Dan played volleyball in the ’68 Olympics and was captain of the U.S. Men’s National team. He was also a tremendous leader and people person. He was telling me to “just do it” years before Nike ever used that slogan. He taught me that without commitment and discipline, success would always be just another word, not something real. Most importantly, he taught me to always do the right thing, even when it’s often the hardest thing to do. What advice would you give a person just entering this industry? Set your sights high and then take the time to learn your craft. This industry is like any other — you have to go deep and understand every detail. There is no substitute for a strong foundation of knowledge. True leaders aren’t born or made overnight. They’ve put in the time to understand the nuances that make their business successful, and more importantly, they’ve put in the time to make mistakes (lots of them!) and to learn from them. Although I might not have thought it when I was 22, the three years I spent managing a Paradise Bakery were my most formative, and I draw from those experiences every single day.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing instead? I’d be teaching. My dad was a law school professor for more than 40 years and I’ve always had a passion to teach. I believe that in any community, it’s not the political or business leaders who matter the most, it’s our school teachers. Our future is in their hands.